Pokemon Tamagochis Are Coming And The ’90s Are Truly Back

The Pokemon Company and Tamagotchi are mashing together two toys famous for being banned by schools, creating a device specifically designed to torment teachers in the ’90s.

After a leak reported by Serebii a few weeks ago, The Pokemon Company and Tamagotchi have confirmed they are collaborating to release literal pocket monsters via an Eevee Tamagotchi. The egg-shaped virtual pets won’t look like Pokeballs or even Pokemon eggs which seems like a waste of a good opportunity, but you can’t win ’em all. Instead, they will come in yellow or pink designs.

The pixellated Eevee will be able to evolve into one of eight Eeveelutions: Water-type Vaporeon, electric-type Jolteon, fire-type Flareon, psychic-type Espeon, dark-type Umbreon, grass-type Leafeon, ice-type Glaceon or fairy-type Sylveon. Presumably which evolution you receive will depend upon how you raise your Eevee, just as whether your Tamagotchi grew into a cute mouse-type creature or a blob with a lump on its head depended upon if you were diligent in cleaning up its virtual poops.

The Pokemon Company previously released a pocket Pokemon device with Pocket Pikachu in 1998. The toy was similar in appearance to a very small Game Boy, its second release even having a colour display. However, in what I’m assuming was a waking nightmare, Pikachu could not be fed and never pooped. Instead, the Pocket Pikachu functioned as a pedometer, with players generating “watts” by walking. Those watts could then be used to buy Pikachu presents and thus its affection.

The company also released the more Tamagotchi-looking Pokewalker in 2009 with Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Designed to look like a Pokeball, this device also functioned as a pedometer, allowing players to transfer a Pokemon from their game to the Pokewalker and then have it gain experience as they walked. It was more a supplementary accessory for the HeartGold and SoulSilver than an independent game of itself.

The new Pokemon Tamagotchis will be released in Japan on January 26, and cost ¥2300, which is about $28. No word yet on a Western release, but Japan is only a 10-hour flight away.